Talking-machine



J. WOLFF.

TALKING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 0CT.25. 191s.

Patented Aug. 24, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l- Inventor Witnesses Attorney J. WOLFF.

TALKING MACHINE APPLICATION FILED ocr.25,1915.

Patented Aug. 24, 1920.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

Inventor Witnesses:

Attorney,

UNITED STATESQPATENT OFFICE;

JOSEPH WOLFE, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO SONORA PHONOGRAPH CORPORATION, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

TALKING-MACHINE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH WOLFF, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at Brookl n, county of Kings, city and State of New Iork, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Talking-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to talking machines, and more particularly to that type of such machine in which a disk form of record having a record groove with horizontal irregularities or sinuosities is employed.

I have discovered that by making the sound passage of a talking machine of wood or other fibrous material from the diaphragm to the end of the horn, or other diffusing or amplifying means, the quality, sonority, brilliancy and other good qualities of the sound will be preserved, and brassy or metallic sounds will be to a great extent eliminated. In my co-pending application for patent, Serial No. 48,492, filed Sept. 1, 1915, I show a sound-box, tone-arm and horn or amplifier constructed of fibrous material, and by the use of a device constructed in the manner described in that application the quality of reproduced sound was greatly improved.

My present invention is an improvement on the devices shown in my co-pending ap plication above referred to. I have discovered that by constructing a soundbox, tonearm and horn, each of a plurality of independent shells separated by an air space, one from another, the quality of the reproduced sound is very greatly improved, whether the devices are composed of separate, independent shells of solid material, or if they be built up of veneering, as shown in my co-pending application above referred to.

The object of my present invention is to produce a talking machine in which the reproduced sound will be greatly improved and objectionable noises eliminated.

This and further objects will be more fully pointed out in the following specification and accompanying drawings considered together or separately.

I have illustrated several embodiments of my invention in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug, 24, 192() Application filed October 25, 1915.

Serial No. 57,740.

Figure 1 is a sectional view of a talking machine embodying my invention and showing a tone-arm and horn of double construction, with an air space extending the length of the sound passage;

Fig. 2 is a cross-section of a modified form of tone-arm;

Fig. 3 is a detail side elevation partly in section of the same;

Fig. 4 is a cross-section of another modification;

Fig. 5 is a detail side elevation partly in section of the same;

Fig. 6 is a cross-section of another modification;

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the same;

Fig. 8 is a cross-section of a tone-arm with triple shells and two air spaces;

Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the same;

Fig. 10 is a side elevation partly in section of a double tone-arm, each element of which is composed of a strip of veneering wound in spiral form;

Fig. 11 is a side elevation of a horn or diffuser formed of double walls of narrow strips of veneering, the grain of alternate strips running at right angles to each other, the grain of each alternate strip running in the direction of the passage of the sound waves;

Fig. 12 is a similar view showing the grain of the strips running in the direction perpendicular to the path of the sound waves;

Figs. 13, 14 and 15 are detail sectional views of modified forms of horns;

Fig. 16 is a longitudinal section showing a metal sound-box incased in a double casing;

Fig. 17 is a similar .view of a sound-box composed of a double casing of fibrous laminated material; and

Fig. 18 is a modified form of tone-arm, composed of fibrous material in the form of annuli, the grain of alternate annuli running in opposite directions.

In all of the above views the same parts in all the several figures are designated by similar reference characters.

In the drawings 19 designates a cabinet for inclosing the operating parts of a talking machine. A cover 20 is hinged to the upper part of the cabinet. A partition 21 extends across the cabinet near its upper end,

and this has secured to its under side a motor 22. The shaft 23 of the motor extends through the partition and carries a turntable 24 on which is mounted a record disk 25 in a position to be engaged by the stylus 26 of a sound-box 27. The soundbox is carried on the end of.a tone-arm 28. The tone-arm extends horizontally and then downwardly, as

shown at 29, and its lower end is provided with a collar 30.- The collar has a tapered, annular flange 31 on its lower face which flange rests in a tapered. annular recess 32 in a bored fitting 33 secured to the partition 21. Above the tapered recess 32 the fitting 33 is counter-bored as at 34, and in this counterbore that portion of the collar 30 which extends beyond the tapered flange rests. The counter-bore is of a depth suflicient to allow vertical movement of the collar and tonearm. A keeper 35 is secured to the top of the partition to retain the tone-arm in position against accidental displacement.

Communicating with the bore of the fitting 33, in line with the bore of the tonearm, and below the partition, is a horn or diffuser 36 which extends from the lower end of the tone-arm to the outside of the cabinet at one side thereof, and offers communication between the interior of the sound-box and the atmosphere.

As shown in Fig. 1, the tone-arm is composed of two shells 37 and 38, one within the other, and with an air space 39 between them. Each shell is composed of a single thickness of material and maybe formed in any suitable manner. 'Ihe horn 36 is built in the same manner as is the tone-arm.

In Figs. 2 and 3, I have shown a tone-arm built up of two shells of veneering, and the grain of the laminae runs circumferentially.

In Figs. 4 and 5 the grain is shown as running longitudinally of the tone-arm.

Figs. 6 to 9 show the tone-arm built up of strips of veneering 40 and 41. The grain of the strips 40 extends longitudinally, and of the strips 41 extends circumferentially. In Figs. 8 and 9 I have shown a tone-arm, composed ofthree shells and an air space between each pair. The shells are built up in the same manner as are those shown in Fig. 6.

In Fig. 10 is shown a double wall tonearm composed of shells, each formed of a thin strip of veneering wound in spiral form. The grain may run longitudinally as shown at 42, or circumferentially, as shown at 43 In Figs. 11 and 12 are shown two forms of horn built of laminated material, as shown in my co-pending application above referred to.

Fig. 13 shows a detail of a three shell horn with a cap 44 for confining the air in the spaces between the shells. This capping will be applied to both ends of the horn.

Fig. 14 is a detail section showing a corner of a horn built up of three shells composed of strips of laminated material, some of the laminae 45 of some strips being wider than others so as to space the shells apart.

I have found that, instead of using spacers to separate the shells to form the-air space, very satisfactory results may be obtained by making a plurality of shells of such a size that they can be nested one within the other. The very thin air space thus produced will make a marked improvement in reproduced sound over such shells when cemented or otherwise secured together.

Fig. 15 shows a detail section of a corner of a triple shell. covered inside and out with a continuous envelop 46.

Fig. 16 illustrates a metal sound-box 47 'incased in a double shell 48 and 49, with an air space 50 between them; and Fig. 17 shows a sound-box, composed of two shells 51 and 52 of fibrous material. The inner earries a diaphragm 53 supported between gaskets 54 as is usual.

I do not wish to limit myself to the precise construction shown, for the reason that I am not aware of the exact number of air spaced shells which will give the best results, nor am I aware of the exact reason why a sound passage defined by a plurality of shells of fibrous material, with air spaces between each pair, will give the results accomplished.

My theory is that the confined air in the spaces between the shells will not respond to minute and rapid vibrations set up by the engagement of the stylus with the record, but will act as a-stop to prevent vibration of inner shell. Such vibration as may be transmitted to the innermost air space and transmitted to the second shell, will be dampened by the second air space, and so on.

I wish it understood that while I have illustrated my invention in the several figures as having air spaces between the double or triple shells, I do not so limit my invention, as I can construct the horn, tonearm, or sound-box of double, triple or any number of shells without any air between them.

It is also to be understood that I do not limit myself to a metal sound-box, as illustrated in Fig. 16, but that the same may be made up entirely of wood, with or without air spaces, and likewise built up of a double, triple or any number of shells.

In accordance with the provisions of the Patent Statute, I have described the principleof my invention together with the apparatus, which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof, but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is merely illustrative, and that the invention can be carried out in other ways without deters Patent of the United States, is as follows:

1. A sound conveyer for talking machines, comprising a sound passage, there being a plurality of confined air spaces surrounding said passage. i

2. A sound conveyer for talking machines,

having a tone passage defined by walls of fibrous material, there being a plurality of air spaces surrounding said passage.

In a talking machine, a sound conveyer, the walls of said conveyer being constructed and arranged to provide a plurality of air spaces around the passage through the conveyer, said air spaces extending longitudinally of each other.

4. In a talking machine having a dia' phragm, a tone passage defined by a plurality of spaced parallel walls, there being a plurality of confined air spaces between said walls.

In a talking machine, a sound conveyor, the walls thereof being constructed and arranged to provide a plurality of separately inclosed air spaces surrounding said passage.

6. In a talking machine, a conveyer havinga sound passage therethrough, the Walls of the conveyer being spaced apart, the space between the walls being partitioned off.

7. A sound conveyer for talking machines, comprising a plurality of Walls, each being formed of a series of sections, each section being formed of laminated material, the sections being arranged end to end, the laminations of each section being arranged perpendicular to the laminations of adjoining sections, there being a space between the walls, said space being subdivided by partitions formed by extensions of individual laminations.

8. A sound conveyer for talking machines, comprising a plurality of spaced walls constructed and arranged to provide a plurality of air spaces arranged one within the other about the passage through the conveyer,

This specification signed and witnessed this 21st daypf October, 1915.

JOSEPH IVOLFF.

IVitnesses:

JAooB SCHEGHTEB, JOHN L. Lo'rscH. 

